Solar Panels

Thinking back a few years, at a time I was temporarily residing with my parents in Florida, I remember my father confronting me with a request to clean and maintain the solar panels on the roof of their house. I had definitely heard of solar panels before, as an advantageous effort to conserve energy and increase energy efficiency, but never would have guessed that my parents would be proprietors in owning them. At the time, solar power to me resembled a futuristic endeavor of conserving energy that was still light years away. Nevertheless, there they were; occupying one half of the roof as the primary energy source to heat my parents’ pool. I also soon discovered that, not only were my parents utilizing solar power as a heating source, they had also purchased solar-powered, outdoor lights to illuminate the exterior of their house and the pathway leading up to their front door.

Now, having moved back to the Midwest, I realize that solar power might not be the most desirable and effective approach to conserving energy here. However, there are many other ways and sources of energy in which we might find to be beneficial – one of them being wind power. Being located in a close proximity to Lake Michigan, isn’t it possible to successfully utilize the lake effect winds as an alternative energy source? Just think of the possibilities!